


The Mission

by TheGirlInGlasses1444



Series: The Rings [1]
Category: This work is original.
Genre: Other
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-05-22
Updated: 2015-05-22
Packaged: 2018-03-31 16:05:54
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 947
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3984280
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TheGirlInGlasses1444/pseuds/TheGirlInGlasses1444
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>The year is 3627. Civilization has advanced. Earth is now the center of the Second Great Human Empire. The Empire is headed by a council of 12. 8 of them are corrupt. This is the story of how a research team ends the empire in order to prevent a tyrannical reign. Very few of them saw it to the end.</p>
            </blockquote>





	The Mission

**Author's Note:**

> This is a series of short stories written by one of my very good friends, Clay Elston. I take no credit or ownership of this story or its characters. They are his. At a later point it will get very descriptive and gory, so you are warned!

It took the human race until the twenty-fifth century to finally master efficient space travel. By then, they were already well aware of extraterrestrial life. In the year 2314, for example, a race of scaly humanoid creatures found the Earth in search of trade. The were called the Kahn. The Kahn had many technological advances beyond the humans, just as the humans spices and other materials they had never seen.  
One such advancement were small boxes that emmited a low-level telepathic field in order to translate images and words into one's own language. They also had ships, great, vast ships with capabilities of reaching light speed which made space travel more easy. The Kahn had small  
Devices that channel energy into a focused beam to mend metal and more, much more.  
The people of Earth were astounded. They gladly traded their goods for help and the knowledge to build these things themselves. And so marked the start to the Second Great Human Empire.  
They made allies and enemies as they spread throughout the galaxy. The Empire grew wealthy and prosporous. They elected a council of twelve men and women every twenty years. They built and expanded the Empire.  
Unfortunately, around the thirty-seventh century, there was a council consisting of corruption. Two-thirds of them got greedy. Power hungry. They went mad and began developing a plan to take over the Empire entirely with one of them at the head seat.  
A race of cat-like creatures, known as the Katai, who had grown with the Human Empire as their strongest ally, decided to set up a deffence mechanism. They built three ovular devices placed on stationary planets facing Earth that, when activated, would destroy the planet and keep the tyranny from starting. This would give the humans a new start, though it was only a final resort. This snapped the council back in place, but only temporarily.  
The Katai named this system "The Rings" due to their shape. When the eight councillors revamped their plan in 3627, a secret mission was initiated to start the Rings. The Earth Research Ship Terra and its crew of twentywere sent out on the job. Very few saw it to the end alive. This is their story.  
__________________________________________________

Elliot Carragin, chief researcher for the ERS Terra, marched with the other four asked to the meeting. They were lead by Captain Kass McCRay. The others were the pilot of the ship, Laura Grey, the engineers, and the young, red-haired Scottish girl, Karen Ohara as the navigator.  
They were to be the representatives for the Terra at a Council meeting. They were sure of nothing that would happen, though they would soon find out.  
As soon as they entered the large room, they noticed several oddities. Firstly, there were no windows and only one door. Secondly, only three councillors were present. They sat on the opposite side of a large board room table. High Councillor Notten motioned to the empty chairs.  
"Please, sit."  
They seated themselves while the captain requested the 'why's of the meeting. Councillor Chen explained the Rings and their history.  
"Why would our allies build a system to kill us?" Kass prompted.  
"The Rings were built in the case of a corrupt council," Councillor Chen elaborated." If their removal and all else failed, the sysrem would stop it. It is only a last resort and I'm afraid that's where we are."  
The crew was outraged. They couldn't believe that their own allies had a plan to wipe them out. They would have no part in it. The council tried to persuade them, but were almost unsuccessful.  
"If you won't do this," Councillor Hath finally stated. "We can find someone else who will."  
After a long period, they reluctantly accepted.  
"You only have two years, though." he added.  
"Two years to locate and scour three planets?" Kass interjected. "That's cutting it a bit close, don't you think? I mean, I'm English, not some... Space cheetah."  
"The other eight have already killed one of our councillors. Our deaths are being planned. In two years, they will have sufficient supplies to send a warship to Ka'ar, the Katai home planet, to erradicate them and destroy all knowledge of the Rings. If you aren't done by then, you're too late."  
The meeting was concluded when the High Councillor handed Kass the activation key for the Rings. The crew set off to prepare.  
__________________________________________________

10 minutes to departure.  
The whole of the crew were taking their positions and strappin in. Karen Ohara secured herself into a seat in front of the computer system.  
Six minutes to departure.  
Elliot tested his straps and sat back, all to ready to once again leave the planet. He had always been interested in space an what was out there. Now it was his job to find out.  
One minute to departure.  
Kass tensed in her seat and took slow, deep breaths. She had always enjoyed space travel, but taking off was the worst. "Ready?"  
"We are off, captain!" exclaimed Laura.  
The ship rumbled and shook as its thrusters pushed balls of fire and billowing smoke, moving upward in a violent, loud shift. They moved through the atmosphere, out, off the planet they called home, only five of them knowing they would never set foot on it again. Fourty-three seconds later they officially left Earth.  
"We are out of the atmosphere, captain." called Karen. "I am programming our first location now."  
It took the crew three weeks to reach the planet Gesh. Three whole weeks living in a giant metal box. It was their longest mission so far. They had entered the atmosphere when the sirens went off. All hell broke loose.

**Author's Note:**

> Look next for The Rings Part Two: Plummet


End file.
